I am not a fan of big words and a lot of bla bla, but let me introduce us
to you. We have had a long journey to be where we are today. The idea
lives in our heads for years, but the action started in 2011 in NYC, our
second home. We like to share things that we love and we can never
shut up – so why not start blogging about it? Our motto is ‘always lust for
more’ – we are never satisfied, and so we also did our first shirt collection
last May. What’s next? Blogging is not the right format for us to push
ourselves beyond the limits that’s why we decided to go back to our
basic idea: creating a magazine for all the urban lovers all around the
world. Here we are. ‘Urban Rebl’ is the name of our first issue. Being a
rebel is the best thing you can do in today’s society. We don’t like being
a copy. We don’t follow, we lead. It’s time to show everyone who YOU
are. This issue features people who inspired us from fashion freaks to
musical geniuses. Get inspired, too, and spread the love. Once again,
thank you all for supporting, inspiring and pushing us through. This
wouldn’t exist without you guys.
­K

PHOTO RAYAN ODYLL
INTERVIEW KATRIN SCHMIDT

Who should wear your clothes and
why?
Everyone who has great style. People
who like the label in every way. My
clothes are like little treasures ­ you
should wear them with a certain
statement.
Are there other projects in the future?
Oh yeah. Right now it's all about the
shop launching, but I also work as a
stylist, I come up with shooting ideas
and image concepts. I am planning
a fashion video project with some
students from FH Düsseldorf: short
movies about the fashion industry.
Stay tuned!
Where can we buy your clothes?
www.odyllstudios.com
You are studying in Düsseldorf ­ is it a
fashionable city?
I wouldn't call Düsseldorf a city of
fashion, just because a lot of
showrooms have chosen this city.
That's really not a reason to think that
Düsseldorf has a different approach
to fashion. But the opinions differ, of
course. The fashion scene here is
changing and getting freshen up
though.
What kind of music do you listen to
when you're designing?

What do we have to know about
you?
Black and white and a lot of shades
of greyinbetween.
How did you get in touch with
fashion and designing?

I wanted to keep up with the
beautiful things in life. My mother

brought me to fashion: she designed
her dresses and sewed them. My
taste was very important to her and
that is why she involved me in
everything and so I became her
attachment figure related to fashion.
I think that formed me strongly.
When a kid at the age of five starts
draping tablecloth to a dress, then I
am in the right position now.
You also went abroad and made a
lot of experiences in the world of
fashion. Tell us how it influenced you.
A stay abroad is refreshing and
inspiring. It's always important to
know what's going on. I love
travelling and getting to know new
people. Every country has its charm
and culture, but there is one thing
that fascinates me: details that you
can only see after a second look:
colors, forms, structures or just
emotions ­ there is no limit. I get
inspired by so many things: books,
music, movies, art, characters ­ you
have to be open for any kind of
inspiration.
Your red sweater reminds me a little
bit of Givenchy. Where do you get
your crazy ideas from?
I think you mean the one with the fish
­ this collection consists of four prints.
I tried to create prints which look like
vintage silk scarves. So you can see
fish, starfish, cirrus, corals and even
more in a complex interaction.

It depends on my mood. Right
now I like to listen to the music of

the 90's. These classic tunes were
easy­going.
If you could work with one designer ­
who would it be and why?

Alexander McQueen would have
been my first choice, also My Alley.

But there are also other designers
that I'd love to work with. It's interest­
ing to see how different ideas and
concepts fertilize each other.

4

Is there a message that you like to
say with your fashion?
Spiel, Spaß und Spannung.

S N E A K E R M U S E U M

PHOTOS SNEAKERMUSEUM.DE

TEXT KATRIN SCHMIDT

Not everyone is a big fan of culture and
so do a lot of people think that museums
are boring as hell. It's up to you, but this
museum right here is perfect for
everybody: The Sneaker Museum in
Cologne. The first Sneaker museum
opened in May 2011, created by the
owner of the Cologne Sneaker store The
Good Will Out: Olli and Alex. For us
sneaker
freaks
and
the
other
international sneaker heads this must be
heaven on earth. Olli and Alex both
share their passion for sneakers and after

5

collection for years it was definitely the
best decision to open a museum and
show special or rare models. So you get
to see, e.g. the original Air Jordan from
1985 or an Air Max model that only exists
three times worldwide. You can visit
different exhibitions on a regular basis, for
example the first exhibition about the
basketball shoe from Nike "The Dunk 足
Celebrating Colors and Creativity" or the
"A
Retrospective
of
Stussy
Shoe
Collaborations 1980足2011" exhibition. A
visit is a MUST 足 whether you want to enjoy
an exhibition or get to see sneaker
history. Right now there is an event called
"Kicks On Film" 足 the perfect combination I
guess. We can't wait for the coming
exhibitions at the Sneaker Museum!

6

KALEEM TAYLOR
PHOTO KALEEMTAYLOR.COM
INTERVIEW KRISTINA SCHMIDT

You are from West London and lived
there for 15 years. How did growing
up in London influence you and your
music?
I'd say London influenced me and
my music as there is diversity in
cultures and growing up hearing
different types of music definitely
helped me.
What was your childhood like? Did
you always dream of becoming a
singer or what made you decide to
pursue this career?
My childhood was good, very family
orientated. Singing wasn't always
what I wanted to do, to be honest it's
only just recently been considered as
a potential career.
Tell us about your relationship with
music. What does it mean to you?
Music to me is an expression of
emotions within an art, different types
can determined how you feel
whether it be a song that brings back
memories or fills you with promise,
makes you happy or sad. Music is
universal.
How did you get started in the music
industry?
I would say it all started when my
manager sent my song 'Blow Out'
into the BBC Homegrown show.
Why is that there are so many great
and amazingly talented people from
the UK like e.g. Jessie J or Adele?
I couldn't tell you.
You have a very soulful voice 足 tell us
about your inspirations.
My inspiration comes from the likes of
D'Angelo, Stevie Wonder, Omar,
Lauryn Hill and so many more.

How would you describe your style of
music?
I haven't been able to answer that
question too well before but I
describe my music as a reflection of
me so it's dependent on how I'm
feeling.

Are you involved in the creative
process of writing a song?

Me and my producer and good
friend Siv do most of the writing
together.
Who would you like to work with?
I've never really thought about who I
might want to work with.
Tell us about your debut single 'Blow
Out' 足 how would you describe it?
'Blow Out' was just another song we
made, to tell the truth I've been
surprised by how much love has
been shown to that song. I'd
describe it as a vibrant tune,
something to dance to.
There is a free download on your site,
your EP 'Smooth'. Tell us something
about it.
The 'Smooth EP' was just to show
people what I'm about, the songs
from the EP are all relevant to me
and
are
based
on
personal
experiences.
Is there going to be an album this
year?
I'm not going to put a date on when
but I can say I've already got some
songs of the album done and
dusted.
Where do you see yourself in five
years?
Hopefully still making music.
Is there anything else you'd like our
readers to know?
I have a new EP called 'Alone'.

7

8

do not care about the lifestyles people
choose for themselves as long as they are
happy. They stand for a new way of life and
represent a generation of brotherhood and
sisterhood instead of creating antipathy
against certain people.
This new sentiment is also expressed in their
clothing. We all have witnessed that in music,
and especially in Hip Hop, the way people
dress has become more and more important.
But we are not talking about over­sized
sweaters and baggy pants anymore, we are
talking about “all my clothes designer” like
Kanye West says in one of his songs. And that
is something that we can see that these
youngns represent, too. And if they do not
wear designer couture, they wear their own
designs and own their own fashion labels.
Without any further ado, we’d like to
introduce you to three Harlemites that we
absolutely love and adore.

PHOTOS DEXTER NAVY & TUMBLR

TEXT KRISTINA SCHMIDT

It is the year 1925 and we are in NYC.
A young gentleman by the name of Dr. Alain
Locke just published his anthology which
kicked off one of the biggest literary and
artistic movements of the 20th century­ the
Harlem Renaissance. Artists and creative
minds from different parts of the US expressed
themselves in different forms about the new
consciousness that arose within the African
American community making Harlem one of
the most creative metropolis on the planet.
Ever since we have witnessed dozens of artists
and musicians making their way to the music
industry and sharing their creative talent with
the world. But it is only recently that we have
especially young artists creating a big buzz
about themselves and putting out great
music that is different from what we would
expect coming from Harlem, the home of
musical geniuses such as Doug E. Fresh, Kurtis
Blow, Mase, The Diplomats, and Alicia Keys­
just to name a few.
Not only are these artists that we are about to
introduce quite young but they share more
than just their age. We all know the saying
that “Age ain’t nothing but a number”­ this
sure applies to these artists because not only
are they are in their early twenties but they
have been in the game for quite a while and
are not new to the scene at all. They have
their artistic roots in performing schools or
crews that they have been a part of for ages.
What is so interesting and new about them
are the things they stand for and what seems
to be dear to them. Whereas back in the
days, we might have had crews that were to
degrade certain people or their way of life,
these young cats definitely see no difference
in people, as a matter of fact they see
beauty in all different aspects of life and

Azealia Banks

Even though she is the youngest of the
three, this lady has been all over the net
for the past three years. Originally, Azealia
Banks wanted to pursue a career in
musical theater, but that changed after
she landed a TOP 3 position in BBC’s Sound

of 2012. Her success has been noticed not
only by the greats of the fashion industry like
Nicola Formichetti and Karl Lagerfeld, but
music’s very best like Kanye West and
Beyoncé Knowles have both collaborated
with Yung Rapunxel on their projects. Banks is
known for her extremely long Rapunzel like
weave and unique style which landed her a
deal with major cosmetic company MAC
Cosmetics releasing her signature purple
lipstick. In 2012 she won the Billboard Award
for New Style Icon and released both her EP
“1991” and her mixtape “Fantasea” featuring
her hits “212” and “Luxury”. Her album Broke
With Expensive Taste is said to drop February
12, 2013.

Teyana Taylor

9

This urban rebel first caught everyone’s
attention when she appeared on MTV’s Sweet
Sixteen but a lot has changed since then. By
now, Teyana Taylor is signed to Kanye West's

AZEALIA BANKS

A$AP ROCKY

label G.O.O.D music where she
has contributed her vocals to
songs like “Hell of a Life” and “Dark
Fantasy” both off the album My
Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy by
Kanye West. The twenty­two year
old triple­threat has ventured into
different areas of the industry.
Being known for being a great
choreographer, Teyana Taylor has
also landed a couple of movie
roles in the past three years such
as Stomp the Yard 2: Homecoming
and most recently Tyler Perry’s
Madea’s Big Happy Family where
she caught everyone’s attention
with her significant cry for
“Byyyyyyyron!”.
In
2012
she
released
her
mixtape
The
Misunderstanding of Teyana Taylor
resembling the legendary Lauryn
Hill cover of The Miseducation of
Lauryn Hill. This similarity is no
surprise since Teyana refers to Hill
as one of her biggest influences.
She is featured on the G.O.O.D
music compilation Cruel Summer
and is currently working on her first
debut album.

A$AP Rocky
Representing Harlem at its finest

is the Pretty Mother F***** aka
A$AP Rocky. But this man is more
than just a pretty face. Ever since
his single “Peso” leaked onto the
internet in 2011, A$AP Rocky has
been creating a huge buzz about
himself and the entire A$AP Mob,
a collective of rappers such as
A$AP Ferg, music video directors,
and producers. This might not be a
new thing hovering a collective of
talented people and peers around
oneself, but what is interesting

TEYANA TAYLOR

10

about this A$AP Mob is the
philosophy that stands behind this
acronym:
in an interview with
Fader, A$AP Rocky explained that
to him it means Acronoym
Symbolizing Any Purpose and that
A$AP means and is life. Not only is
his style in music unique but his style
in fashion is, too. In an intimate
interview with HardKnockTV he
reveals that growing up in Harlem
and chilling in SoHo, these two
neighborhoods have influenced
and created what A$AP stands for.
Oftentimes, they had to fight for
what they believed in because
coming from where he is from,
A$AP Rocky claims that it was
difficult to raise awareness and
convince people to raise above
the negativity and prejudices to
see that we have more in
common. He made it cool and
kicked down a door for kids to
wear designer clothes and not feel
gay when the urban community
would refer to that as being gay
when it is just different. He goes on
stating to not discriminate against
anybody because we are one
generation and that we should all
have interracial relationships, so by
the time our next generation is up
there will be no racism left. He
concludes the interview saying
that really, he is fighting to be
understood and wants to get an
understanding for his generation.
We definitely love his attitude and
what he stands for. After dropping
his mixtape LiveLoveA$AP, he has
now dropped his long anticipated
album LongLiveA$AP. He is going
on tour in the US in March and we
hope to get to see him in Europe
as well. In a recent interview, he
expressed his interest to work with
London singer Jessie Ware. So we
cannot wait to see what else he
has in store.

"I am a strong believer: work hard, play hard."
足 Alexander Wang

PHOTO CLARISSA LABIN
INTERVIEW KATRIN SCHMIDT

Your career startet in London
at the Fashion College. Why
did you study in London?
London is very well known for
its Design and Art schools. I
always wanted to study
abroad.
So did London with its
fashionable people inspire you
and your fashion?

I think that London is very
inspiring. The women dress

more individual and they dare
themselves. They combine the
newest trends and combine
vintage stuff. If I compare that
to Germany I think that
Germany is very dull and
boring.
Did you always dream of
being a designer?
When I was a young girl I
always wanted to design
costumes for the theater. The
fashion direction developped
in first place during my studies.
You were Head of Design at
H&M and its "Divided Black
Label". How did this work
shape you and how much
Clarissa could you actualize in
your designs?

This work really shaped me.
First of all the travelling all

around the world. But also
working with a collection that
should be very well negotiable
and speak to a lot of people.
This was a really important and
to me also a new aspect. I
enjoyed working for H&M, but I
am happy to release products
now that don't have to speak
to a huge amount of people,
things that are more personal.
How would you describe your
fashion?
The label Clarissa Labin stands

CLARISSA LABIN
for individual and portable
fashion with the focus on knit
fashion.
You've
got
German/
Venezuelan roots. How did
that shape your designs?
Maybe
my
passion
for
different
combinations
of
colors.
So you work with knit material,
special patterns and gaudy
colors, but also pastell tones 足
where do you get your ideas
from?
Knit, different combinations of
colors and three足dimensional
surface structures are the
characteristics of my work. I
personally like those and I
think they confer your fashion
individuality,
expressiveness
and a certain depth.
Are there any fashion icons
that you admire?
There are classic style icons
like Diana Wreeland whom I
really love. I also like Chloe
Sevigny's style! She dresses
very individual and cool.
What do you think about the
current fashion scene?
The current fashion scene is
pretty much shaped by
commercial fashion giants
and the general globalisation.
This is the reason why little
labels are struggeling to keep
up
with
other
labels,
especially with regard to price
and time. So you have to
stand
out
and
create
something which appears to
be appealing and essential.
Do you have any tipps for
newcomer designers?
Keep up! You have to have a
long breath in this industry.

13

SEVDA WWW.WEAREYOUNEAK.COM

THESTREETS
14

DENNY WWW.LOOKRICHSHOPCHEAP.BLOGSPOT.COM

S
15

MAGDALENA WWW.HOARDOFTRENDS.COM

16

HALIL WWW.IAMHIA.COM

17

MADELEINE WWW.DARIADARIA.COM

18

"If you don't do it to be best, I don't know
why the fuck you do it."
足 Big Sean

I stayed at the Rouge Hotel at Dupont Circle which was an awesome hote

I got the chance to visit Washington D.C. before
Christmas and I really had a blast. Everyone knows
that we are New York City lovers, but D.C. is pretty
cool to visit, too. I was very impressed about the
noise (yes, it is not as noisy as in lovely NYC) and
the streets are super clean. That is a reason why a
lot of blocks look pretty much the same and
therefore it is hard to find the perfect urban spots. I
learned that too much walking won't help me find
the best places 足 you really need to know where
the good stores are, before you come to D.C.
That's what I also did and I have to say that these
stores make your D.C. trip pefect! "Georgetown" is
a neighborhood that you can't leave out 足
Georgetown seems to be THE place in D.C. Very
young, cool architecture a lot of bars and
restaurants and stores like Urban Outfitters,
American Apparel and Nike. So let me present you
my personal top 4 (we start from the first row on

top, left to right): PALACE 5IVE 2220 14th Street
Northwest. The interior design is awesome and
you'll find brands like Stussy, Herschel Supply Co.,
Nike SB, etc. MAJOR DC 1426 Wisconsin Avenue
Northwest. This is a sneaker heaven! They also offer
stuff from labels like The Hundreds. KICKKSPOTT
1436 Wisconsin Avenue Northwest. If you haven't
found any sneakers at the Major store then come
Kickkspott! COMMONWEALTH 1781 Florida Avenue
Northwest. This could be one of my favorite stores 足
it's rather like an urban boutique. You'll find brands
like Comme des Garcons, Billionaire Boys Club,
Golf Wang, Undefeated, etc. If you ever come to
D.C. make sure to go to those stores! For me it was
a new challenge of shopping, but you'll definitely
find something that you like.

22

el

'I WISH I COULD
SMOKE WITH YOU ALL
AND HAVE JAM
SESSIONS, BUT IF YOU
EVER GET THE
CHANCE TO MEET ME,
BRING A BLUNT!'
PHOTO LUCILLE GHATTI
INTERVIEW KATRIN SCHMIDT

Tell us something about you.
I'm a product of American
society. I'm from a few places,
but most of my time is spent on
the west coast.
Loud Pack Lucy ­ is that a
name you gave yourself? What
does it mean?
Loud Pack Lucy is a nickname I
created for twitter, but the
'Loud Pack' in the name is slang
for strong weed, which is my
favoire.How did you get in
touch with music? I've been in
the choir since I was 5. I always
knew I wanted to sing, but my

voice didn't mature enough for
people to take me seriously until
about 4 years ago. I've always
had this feeling that my life
would be based of the music I
create when the time was right,
and it feels amazing to finally
experience where music can
take me.
'Amori Infiniti' is a masterpiece.
Very smooth and kind of 90's
style ­ where did you get your
inspirations from?
My inspiration came from falling
in love. 'A.I.' is a collection is a
collection of love songs that I
wrote because I was trying to
tell someone the depth of my
feelings. Aside from that, was it
my first project and it was a
great
stepping
stone.
Something I'm proud to build
off. Is there someone you'd like
to work with in the future?
I'd love to work with James
Blake and Dwele if I could. I'm
working hard though, so one
day I can just call them up like
'Let's session' and they would be
down. I also would love to work
with
more
underground
producers, I'm all about sharing
the light.

23

Is there a chance seeing you
live?
Currently I'm not touring, which
is lame. I wish I was, but I'm
working on some live shows.
What do you think where do we
see you in the future?
Hopefully I'm somewhere in
Europe singing. One of the only
goals I have in music is to reach
people in other places of the
world, so I can spread as much
love as possible. As far as a
deal concerned, I'm not
anxious for one. I just want
money to travel and share this
soul music. Everything else that
comes along with the deal, like
the fact that you have to pay
the label back most of the
money that they signed you for
is lame to me. I'd rather not get
into something I can't handle.
If I'd ask you about your five
favorite songs right now: what
would you tell me?
J88 ­ The Look Of Love, Gucci
Mane ­ First Day Out, Sarah
Vaughn
­
Moonlight
In
Vermont, Feist ­ Get It Right,
Get It Wrong, Future ­ Magic

24

25

MODEL: KATHARINA HÖWISCHE

PHOTOGRAPHER: JULIA KLEINE­BLEY
HELPING HAND: LUCA MILLERS

26

27

28

29

30

31

32

"Don’t give a fuck what nobody says.
Do what feels right for you. Know who you are.
Do you."
­ A$AP ROCKY

PHOTO KENDRICK DAYE
INTERVIEW KATRIN SCHMIDT

Who is Kendrick Daye?
I'm an artist and I'm originally
from Miami, Florida where I'm
based now.
What
is
your
exact
occupation?
I just like to consider myself an
artist. I don't limit my creativity,
whether it comes out in the
visual art or music or a
magazine it's me expressing
myself.
Did Miami influence you and
your art/ or style/ or music?
Yes, specifically the Coconut
Grove area. And it has and
continues to influence my
work. Miami has a good
energy.
The
weather
is
amazing and the art scene is
starting to rival scenes in LA
and New York. It's vibrant, it's
bright, it's loud, it's arduous.
These are key themes in my
work.
What are the ideas behind
your art? You use different
techniques and everything
seems so colorful ­ do you
have a message behind it?
Some days I absolutely do
have a message and I want
people to feel or understand
some issue from a different
perspective. And some days I
just got jokes and want to
have a little fun. Sometimes
the message is what the
aesthetic evokes more than a

staunch stance on social issues
or popular culture. Sometimes
it's just mere idolization and
admiration.
Tell us something about your
last exhibition.
My second solo exhibition RUN,
RIOT! recently closed at Betti
Ono Gallery in Oakland, CA. It
was a continuation of my
current style but I was still
pushed to take not only the
technique but the size of the
work to levels I only previously
dreamed of.
The gallery is still showing and
selling the remainder of the
work
so
head
over
to
BettiOno.flyingcart.com
to
check them out.
Would you call yourself an
urban rebel?
I wouldn't, but i get how some­
one else could.
What do you like about
painting or creating art the
most?
I've never been much of a
talker, so naturally I was
attracted to expressing myself
in more creative ways. I like
with creating I can instantly put
a visual or sonic marker on a
feeling or idea. Plus, creating
your own world is fun.
Who is your favorite artist and
what inspires you?
I can't pick just one. But I can
rattle off names. Ron English,
Andy Warhol, Jean Michel­
Basquiat, Keith Haring, Banksy,
Shepard
Fairey,
David
LaChapelle, the list goes can
go on and on. Because I get
inspired
by
any
and
everything. Even If I don't
necessarily like the work itself I
can find something to take
from it and learn to better
myself.

35

If you could choose one of
your pictures and title it as one
of your favorites ­ which one
would it be and why?
I think it'd be The Nicki piece.
That was the one that kind of
started it all in terms of this
current style I'm pushing. It was
a
long
time
getting
comfortable creating viable
art and that one came
together so quick and easy.
Any upcoming projects?
Man, I'm always on the go.
LOL. Right now I'm finishing up
my next musical project LARGE
FEARS. I've been working
exclusively with artists like
Corinne Stevie, RAFF, Roz Bell,
Jay Scott, Janay Moon and
Jay Boogie to craft this sound
that I'm so amped to share.
We're in the final stages of
mixing, so if all is well, It should
be out early this year.
I'm also gearing up to start
traveling and doing some
shows again. Look out for
GREATeclectic POP­UP shops
coming to NYC, Chicago, Los
Angeles and Atlanta early next
year as well. I'm planning Art
Nouveau's
five
year
anniversary party which will
happen Feb, 1 at Betti Ono
Gallery in Oakland, CA. All
while slowly but surely working
towards my third solo exhibition
KENDRICK IS DEAD.
Is there someone you'd love to
work with?
That's tough. But, if I had to
pick one person I'd to work
with Lady GaGa. I think she
has such a unique take on pop
culture and above all I want to
pick her brain.

36

37

Let's check the homie's closet:
Andi aka Childish Gandino from
RUNFFM. (www.runffm.com)
How many shoes do you have?
The hardest question in the
beginning! Roughly rated a little
more than 100 pairs. On top of
that I have duplicats and shoes
that have to be discarded, but
my heart won't leave them
alone. Oh, there are also some
shoes left in the closet.
What was the last shoe you
bought?
The Nike KD V Christmas Pack
Video Game. For gambling. But I
still have to pick them up at the
customs.
What is your favorite shoe?
I can't emphasize one. But it
would be most likely the True
Blue III that I got in my hands.
They stand next to my door and I
wear them almost every day for
shopping
or
practise.
Unfortunately that's how they
look like.
What is your worst shoe that you
have ever bought?
Thankfully that was a long time
ago. There was a rhino on top.
What kind of shoe will you buy
next?
I lost the overview of everything,
so I have to be spontaneous.
Where can I find the best
sneaker store?
For Hesse I can recommend you
the Sneakerking in Frankfurt,
43einhalb
in
Fulda
and
Asphaltgold in Darmstadt. Online
stores like Caliroots, Kix足Files and
Crooked Tongues.
What do Sneakers mean to you?
There is definitely more important
stuff in life, but somehow I feel
comfortable in their present.

38

39

PHOTO ANDREW MCALLISTER
INTERVIEW KATRIN SCHMIDT

Who is the designer behind
'Pray for Paris'?
I am Andrew McAllister, born in
Ireland in 1992. Living in
Birmingham in the UK for the
past year, studying ‘fashion
retail management' in my 2nd
year.
Pray for Paris is a very cool
name for a label ­ what does it
mean or how did you come up
with the name?
‘Pray for Paris’ is about the
demise of the fashion houses in
Paris over the past decade or
so, with commercialisation and
high­street replicas. Where it
seems to be much more about
money nowadays and less less
about the clothing.
How do the people react to
your clothes? did you ever
think
about
being
so
successful?

People have reacted very
well, I still get people
emailing me about t­shirts

from the first collection last
year such as 'Pray for Karl' the
demand has been very high.
What do you think if you
compare your collections?
I feel we have envolved
greatly
since
our
first
collection, we now offer
jewellery and much more
diverse range in terms of our t­
shirts, we are hoping this will
continue to grow.

The bugs are everywhere ­
are these your favorite
animal?

Haha, no it's definitely not my
favourite animal. The insects
represent what our brand
stands for, which is the demise
of the fashion industry over the
past 10 years with the
introduction of high street
replicas.
Where do you get your
inspirations from?
I get a lot of my inspirations
from blogs actually. I think
blogs are the best and most
accurate source of information
for see
what people are
talking about and what they
are liking, whether it’s who they
consider fashion icons or what
are the ‘it’ shoes of the season.
What are your favourite shirts
from your collections so far?
That’s hard, I love them all.
However I would probably say
any of the shirts from the
‘ICONS’ collections and the
‘high class bugs’ tee.
Is there any celebrity or
personal icon that should wear
Pray for Paris?
Not so much. In my opinion
most celebrities cannot dress
to save their lives. If I had to
name a few I would say Sky
Ferreira, Olivia Palermo and
Kanye West.
You have the opportunity to
work with a designer ­ who
would it be and why?
Christopher Bailey. I really
admire everything he has
done to change the face of
Burberry. He is a genius!!

40

What is your favorite music?
I like all types of music,
favourite artists at the moment
at 'The XX', Kanye West and
Lana Del Rey.
What are your future plans?
Future plans are to expand the
collection, we are in the
process of getting constructed
garments made. The full
collection will be completely
unisex. However are main
focus will still be graphic t­shirts.
How do the people react to
your clothes? Did you ever
think
about
being
so
successful?
People have reacted very
well, I still get people emailing
me about t­shirts from the first
collection last year such as
'Pray for Karl' the demand has
been very high.
What do you think if you
compare your collections? It
seems that PFP is growing and
being more and more settled
right now.
Thank you, I feel we have
envolved greatly since our first
collection, we now offer
jewellery and much more
diverse range in terms of our t­
shirts, we are hoping this will
continue to grow.
Where can we get your stuff?
Exclusively on our site.

OC'S FAVORITE

NICOLA FORMICHETTI

This guy is the coolest dude in the world and that is the
reason why he is our favorite! If you don't know him by his
name you will definitely know him by his work he did for Lady
Gaga and of course the fashion label Mugler. Now he is
conquering the world with his pandas! For a couple of weeks
Nicola opened the Nicopanda store where you can order
shirts, pants or jackets with different panda motives on it.
The special thing about the store is the
range that changes every week, so you
get a chance of buying new stuff every
week! We recommend you Formichetti's
pandas 足 don't look like everyone else 足
try out something new! We love you,
Nicola!
Photo http://instagram.com/nicolaformichetti/

Check out his latest stuff on nicopandastore.com

41

URB CLOTHING

42

PHOTO SARA URBAIS
INTERVIEW KATRIN SCHMIDT

Who are the designers
behind URB足clothing?
Sara who studies fashion
design and Johanna Urbais
who just graduated from
school!
How would you describe
your style?
Our style consists mainly of
contrasts, e.g. sweet and
androgyn or sexy and chilled
with a short skirt and an
extremely
high
plateau
highheel and a hoodie.
Who and what inspires you?
Asian
subcultures
and
western catwalk fashion.
How did you come up with
the idea of designing tights?
They seem to be your
markenzeichen by now.
Sara did a workshop about
surface shaping at her
university and she got to
know the material latex. She
told me about that and at
the same time there was a
big trend in Asia:
Tattootights. So we had the
idea to make something in
that direction but to another
level. We wanted to
combine a three
dimensional surface
structure with a normal cloth
so that you can wear it.

We also wanted to do
something against the big
hype of printed t­shirts and
that's why we chose a
simple surface structure, the
slime.
So who should wear your
clothes?
URB­clothing is for people
who like to stand out and
don't
like
products
of
massenware?!
Do you have any new year's
resolutions?
Keep on doing like we have
been so far.
You are from Gelsenkirchen.
Tell us something about its
fashion ­ I believe that you
really stand out in your city.
Well, we can't walk around
how we really feel. We use
to do that but people were
offending us, they were
saying
stupid
things
concering our look and
people who didn't say a
word just watched at us
ignorantly. If you walk
around with a man than it's
cool, but it's really hard
when you're by yourself ­
you don't feel acepted!
Especially here, you feel as if
people forget about the
allday polite forms, e.g.

when a mother stares at you
and the kids imitate that,
then they don't learn if it's
wrong or right. A lot of
people say that we have to
anticipate stupid comments
because of our clothing.
That's fine with us, but we
talk about politeness and
respect here. Things that a
human being should have
towards other people ­ we
do have that, too. So yeah,
you see that a lot of people
from Gelsenkirchen, also
younger
people,
aren't
open to new stuff.
What
are
your
goals
concerning fashion?
It's pretty tough to set goals
in this industry, because
sometimes things come in a
different way. We have
never thought about that
big interest in our tights.
You also offer stuff for men.
That means you design for
both sex? Or are you going
to focus on one sex in the
future?

43

No, never. This wouldn't fit to
our characters and style.
Especially in mens fashion is
so much more to explore.
Right now where mens and
womens fashion resemble
very much, it would be a
shame to say goodbye to
one sex.
So as far as I could see the
clothes I can tell that you do
everything by yourself ­ is
that important to you?
Yes. We have the control
about our production and
marketing and we don't
want to give that position to
another person.
URB­clothing
goes
worldwide...How are the
reactions to your fashion?
Surprisingly
very
positiv!
There are for sure some
people who don't like it and
call it menstruations tights,
but we don't care about
that and take it with humor.

COMMON ­ THE LIGHT

ALICIA KEYS ­ NEW DAY

MARSHA AMBROSIUS ­ SUMMER
KANYE WEST & JAY­Z ­
WHY I LOVE YOU

AALIYAH & TANK ­
COME OVER

TIRED OF LISTENING TO THE SAME MUSIC? THAT'S OUR CURRENT
PLAYLIST AND MAYBE YOU WILL FIND A SONG THAT YOU LIKE, TOO.